Electrically operated lighter with fuel supply



Aug. 19, W58 1. FLORMAN 2,543,555

ELECTRICAL-LY OPERATED LIGHTER WITH FUEL SUPPLY Filed July 27, 1956INVENTOR. V//V6 FL O/PMAA/ ELECTRICALLY OPERATED LIGHTER WITH FUELSUPPLY Irving Fiorman, New York, N. Y.

Application July 27, 1956, Serial No. 600,555

1 Claim. (Cl. 317-38) This invention relates to electricbattery-operated table stand, pocket and similar lighters for use inconnection with cigarettes and like tobacco products.

It is one of the primary objects of the invention to provide meansaffording a very eflicient and readily manipulatable construction of anelectrically operable lighter of the aforesaid type, which may be alsoemployed in conjunction with a wick or like fuel impregnated or carryingunit.

It is another object of the invention to provide mean facilitating safeand efficacious operation of a lighter, which deviates onlyinsignificantly in its manipulation, function and outer appearance fromthe conventional lighter structures.

Yet a further object of the present invention resides in the provisionof means conducive to a well balanced lighter structure, whichnecessitates only a few operable parts, which is very compact and handyand permits easy replacement of used up battery or like power sourceaccommodated in such lighter.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means contributingto a dual action of a lighter of the aforesaid type, which mayelectrically heat a coil element to incandescence for bringing aboutlighting of a cigarette or which may act as a flame lighter in which awick or like fuel carrier is ignited by said coil element, selectively.

These and other objects of the invention will become further apparentfrom the following detailed description, reference being made to theaccompanying drawing showing a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a lighter embodying theinvention.

Fig. 2 is section taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1 there is disclosed a lighterhaving a metallic housing 11 of conventional shape as seen in Fig. 2.The open bottom end 13 of the housing 11 is closed by a closure plate 12which may be retained in position in any appropriate manner, such asshown by means of a screw bolt 14 and bridge member 15 soldered to innerhousing wall at 16.

Within housing 11 there are arranged two spaced compartments 17, 18preferably made from insulating material. Within an insulatig base plate1? of compartment 18 there is located a contact piece or blade 20leading from said compartment to an anchorage location 21 at whichcontact piece 20 is pressed against a spring element 22 which reachesinto compartment 17 and terminates in a U-shaped end piece 22:: for apurpose later described.

in compartment 18 are disposed a plurality of electric batteries orother electric power sources having the terminals 23 and 24, the latterterminal being in contact with contact blade or piece 20, as seen inFig. 1.

Housing 11 has a transverse top plate Elia, which is perforated at 1115and 110. On top plate 11:: is piv- 234,555 Patented Aug. 19, 1958 otallyheld at 26 the cover parts 27, 28, cover part 28 being a thumb piece foractuating the cover part 27 in a. well-known manner by means of slots 29and pin 3% fixed to the thumb piece 28 and arranged to ride along theslots 29, whereby cover part 27 may be brought into upright position asindicated in dotted lines in Fig. l.

Threadedly connected and inserted through opening 111; is a sleevemember 35 having threads 36 adapted to engage the threads 37 of a sleevemember 38, which is fixedly secured to the housing wall 11 at 39 andanchored at 46 to the top of the compartment 17 as shown.

Sleeve member 35 is made from metal and carries a rivet or contact pin41 by which is held a rubber gasket 42. Connected with rivet 41 is a rodmember 43 supporting a platinum-iridium coil 45 by means of a rod member46 soldered at 47a to the sleeve member 35 (Fig. 2).

Below coil 45 and for support of the same is located a strip of material47 which has a low coeificient of expansion and does not conduct or isinfluenced by heat, such as asbestos.

Adjacent coil 45 and accommodated within the interior of sleeve 35 is afluid carrier 48, such as a fuel imbued wick or the like.

As may be further seen from Fig. 1 compartment 17 is lined with a rubberlining 49 in which sleeve member 38 with threads 37 is retained in anyappropriate manner.

Fixed to the underside of thumb piece 28 is a plunger 56 which may bepressed against the action of a spring 51 in the direction of arrow Afor contact with terminal 23 of power source 25. The forward end Elia ofpin 5% assumes then a position shown in dotted lines, thus completing anelectric circuit passing from terminal 24 through conductors 20, 22 andspring 2211 to contact piece 41 via rods 43, 46 to coil 45, whence theelectric circuit is grounded via housing- 11 and thumb piece 2% withdepending plunger and contact pin 5t), 51, which presses on terminal 23.

From Fig. 1 it will be seen that pin 50 moves within a guide sleeve 52which is positioned above opening of the housing and within a furtherguide sleeve 53 which is surrounded by a rubber sleeve 54 fixed to theunderface of top plate 11a to insulate said sleeves 52-53 from thebattery or power source 25.

Due to the obtained incandescence of coil 45 fuel stored in or retainedby impregnated carrier 43 may be lighted while the cover 27 stillremains in its upright position (shown in dotted lines) so thatcigarette C may be readily lighted.

In the event that the fuel in carrier or wick 48 is exhausted or inorder to do away with injurious efiects emanating from fuel flames andsmoke which have been found to consist of tarry soot and fumes frompartially burned, partially cracked molecules of petroleum-derived fluidas same apparently cause cancer of the lungs (see Bulletin 32, pages 7and 8 of Decourcy Clinic, Cincinnati, Ohio), coil 45 may be solelyemployed to light the cigarette. The power source 25 may be chosensufficiently strong, to facilitate lighting of the cigarette throughsuch coil.

It can thus be seen that there has been provided in accordance with thepresent invention a lighter for cigarettes and like tobacco productscomprising a housing having two openings and a swingable cover,actuating means connected to said cover to swing same to open and closedpositions, a holder provided with two compartments inserted in saidhousing and for removal therefrom, said compartments being incommunication with said housing openings, respectively, one of saidcompartments being adapted to receive an electric battery having twoterminals, the other compartment accommodating a spring element, acontact piece extending from one terminal of said battery of said onecompartment into said other compartment and in contact with said springelement.

Furthermore, the lighter comprises a sleeve insertable through one ofsaid housing openings and seated on said other compartment and carryinga contact abutting against said spring element, and coil means in saidsleeve and operatively connected via siad contact to said springelement, said actuating means being provided with a plunger connectingsaid housing via the other housing opening with the other terminal ofsaid battery, when said cover is swung to open position and away fromsaid coil means, thus exposing said coil means and simultaneouslyclosing an electric circuit from said battery via said plunger throughsaid coil means for lighting purposes.

Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the present invention and it is intended that suchobvious changes and modifications be embraced by the annexed claim.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

A lighter comprising a housing having a movable cover, actuating meansconnected to said cover to move same to open and closed positions, aholder provided with two compartments inserted in said housing and forremoval therefrom, said housing having an opening therein, one of saidcompartments receiving an electric battery having two terminals, theother compartment having an insulative lining accommodating a springelement, a contact piece extending from one terminal of said battery ofsaid one compartment into said other compartment and in contact withsaid spring element, an electrically conductive sleeve detachablythreaded in said lining, said sleeve having a contact pin engaging saidspring element, said sleeve extending into said housing opening andhaving a rod therein, a heating coil supported by said rod and beinglocated within said sleeve, a thermally insulative coil support securedto said rod below said coil, said coil being disposed immediatelyadjacent said opening, said actuating means and said sleeve beinggrounded to said housing, carrying means for fuel within said sleeve andlocated adjacent said coil, said coil being adapted to ignite fuel ofsaid carrying means when fuel is present whereby a cigarette may belighted selectively by flame from the fuel and by direct contact withsaid coil when said carrying means is devoid of fuel, the other terminalof said battery being engageable by said actuating means when said,cover is moved to an open position and'away References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Ludovici Mar. 21, 1939 JonesNov. 4, 1952

